Roy Moore Trial Ends; Fate of State Chief Justice Unknown

Dan Carsen | September 28, 2016

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Suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore was on trial himself today in Montgomery. He’s accused of ordering probate judges not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples some six months after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary trial started this morning and ended this afternoon, with a decision expected within 10 days. Moore could be sanctioned or removed from the Alabama Supreme Court. WBHM’s Dan Carsen spoke with WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli, who was at the trial today. She says the scene was relatively civil, given what has happened outside other recent Roy Moore hearings, and given what’s at stake.

Listen above, or read key excerpts below. We’ll have more as the story unfolds.

Repeating History?

“Roy Moore faces being removed … for the second time in his career. In 2003 he was removed after defying a federal court order to remove a ten commandments monument. [The current charges are] that once again, he defied a higher court’s ruling when he told state probate judges to ignore the U.S Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage.”

Same Defense

“Moore’s attorney Mat Staver stuck to his guns. He said that the order Roy Moore sent in January to probate judges was not a directive — it was just to clear up misconceptions among state probate judges … who were confused as to exactly what they should do. Staver said Moore never told the judges not to issue marriage licenses, that the order was nothing but what he called a ‘status report.'”

Esther Ciammachilli,WBHM
Roy Moore opponents setting up before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary trial.